1+2. Familiars are sentient, and as such they can act on their own (under player control). No real action needed- they are smart enough that they don't need much instruction. This is true for all familiars.
4. Armor. Familiars get scaling bonuses to natural armor. Give them a tiny set of light armor (or heck- even more, since they don't do attack roles if they are just wand monkeys) and then they will be harder to hit than you are. Since this has at will invisibility, do not be scared to have it PEACE OUT when things get tough. No one expects fairies to not be flaky anyway.
My advice is don't use a Fairy Dragon, use a Lyrakien Azata. Damage Reduction 5/evil, Energy Resist 10 Cold and Fire, Immunity to Electricity, and Petrification, Constant Freedom of Movement, Detect Magic, and Detect Evil (all of those are constant). Add Improved Evasion, and a 20 CHA for UMD, and it can pretty much take care of itself. And I haven't even mentioned it's spells, like CLW, and Silent Image or the fact that it has Truespeech.
Is Lyrakien Azata PFS legal?
If I remember right, it might be even more legal for this task than fairie dragon.
To stop people from saying "my bird has a wand in its mouth", PFS generally restricts wand use to human like familiars. Not entirely sure about how fairie dragons are regarded (the common argument is 'they had UMD'), but hey...avoid the issue entirely and get a tougher little buddy.
It is PFS legal, and there is a list of Familiars that can use wands in PFS, but I can't seem to find it right now.
Is Lyrakien Azata PFS legal?If I remember right, it might be even more legal for this task than fairie dragon.
To stop people from saying "my bird has a wand in its mouth", PFS generally restricts wand use to human like familiars. Not entirely sure about how fairie dragons are regarded (the common argument is 'they had UMD'), but hey...avoid the issue entirely and get a tougher little buddy.
my guess, Fairy Dragons can walk on two legs and use their hands.
|
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Faerie dragons can use wands, as a sorcerer. Lyrakien Azatas have to use UMD on most wands. So if you're looking for a wand monkey, the Faerie dragon does a better job, but Lyrakien is no slouch, especially if you've been taking ranks of UMD, and it doesn't require a boon to use.
Also, the list of familiars who are considered bipedal, and can thus activate wands in PFS is brownie, faerie dragon, imp, lyrakien azata, mephit, quasit, and sprite familiars.
Faerie dragons can use wands, as a sorcerer. Lyrakien Azatas have to use UMD on most wands. So if you're looking for a wand monkey, the Faerie dragon does a better job, but Lyrakien is no slouch, especially if you've been taking ranks of UMD, and it doesn't require a boon to use.
Also, the list of familiars who are considered bipedal, and can thus activate wands in PFS is brownie, faerie dragon, imp, lyrakien azata, mephit, quasit, and sprite familiars.
Fairie dragons can use wands as a sorcerer...but as far as I am aware sorcerers typically have to use their hands in order to use wands.
That is the crux of the argument. Can they use wands without hands? Do their legs count? If they can't use wands, then what can they use their UMD for?
I am not the one that made the argument, or put the human-like restriction. I am just parrotting what I have heard from rules board threads asking about this.
I am only advising that...well...maybe stick to the fairy angel thing instead, so no one brings up these questions at the table. It was already noted as relatively 'better' than the fairie dragon.
Also, the list of familiars who are considered bipedal, and can thus activate wands in PFS is brownie, faerie dragon, imp, lyrakien azata, mephit, quasit, and sprite familiars.
This is what I knew to be true too. I also remember there was a list that said these bipeds could use wands, but when I looked up the FAQ, things got a little fuzzy:
Can my animal companion or familiar wear or use magic items?
It is intended that animal companions or familiars can not activate magic items. An animal companion could benefit from an item with a continuous magical effect like an amulet of natural armor if its master equipped the item for the animal companion. Animal companions of any type may not use manufactured weapons.Animal companions are also limited by their individual anatomies. In Pathfinder Society Organized Play, animal companions always have access to barding and neck-slot items so long as they have the anatomy. For example, a horse and pig can always have access to barding and neck-slot items. A snake does not have access to either. However, an item called out to be used by a specific animal is usable by that animal regardless of slot.
Additionally, animal companions have access to magical item slots, in addition to barding and neck, as listed on the inside front cover of the Animal Archive so long as they select the Extra Item Slot feat. The Animal Magic Item Slots table found in Animal Archive is not a legal except under the following conditions. First, an animal companion, familiar, or bonded mount, may choose one slot listed under its body type when taking the Extra Item Slot feat (this feat may be taken multiple times, each time selecting a different available magic item slot based on the creature’s anatomy). Second, access to specific magic item slots may be granted at a later date by another legal source. If you do not own a copy of the Animal Archive, your animal companion may only use barding and neck-slot items.
An animal or familiar has to have an intelligence of 3+ to activate an ioun stone. If the animal or familiar has less than a 3 intelligence, they may not activate an ioun stone.
The brownie, faerie dragon, imp, lyrakien azata, mephit, quasit, sprite familiars, granted by the Improved Familiar feat, use the Biped (hands) section of the chart. The carbuncle and voidworm protean, familiars granted by the Improved Familiar feat, uses the Serpentine section of the chart. If you do not own a copy of the Animal Archive, your animal companion may only use barding and neck-slot items.
After reading that, and not being able to find the list where it says these familiars can use wands, I started to get nervous, and I can see a GM making an argument that none of them can. Does anyone have a link where it says a Familiar can use a wand?
Just to be clear, I agree that they can, I just want to head off any GM who uses this to say you can't.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Never mind I found it. Mike Brock made a post about it on This thread
Wand use doesn't require the book for those few improved familiars - brownie, faerie dragon, imp, lyrakien azata, mephit, quasit, sprite familiars - gained with the Improved Familiar feat
It can use a wand since it is slotless. It uses its master's UMD. No other animal companions or familiars can activate a magic item.
No other animal companions or familiars can activate a magic item.
That seems unnecessarily restrictive. Surely other improved familiars could activate magical rings and such.
If I remember correctly the Lyrakien does have the overriding specific rule that it will only bond to a Chaotic Good master. No one step away rule allowed.
Wow, you're right I missed that before.
...A chaotic good 7th-level spellcaster can gain a lyrakien as a familiar if she has the Improved Familiar feat.
If I remember correctly the Lyrakien does have the overriding specific rule that it will only bond to a Chaotic Good master. No one step away rule allowed.Wow, you're right I missed that before.
...A chaotic good 7th-level spellcaster can gain a lyrakien as a familiar if she has the Improved Familiar feat.
Well, they are using a faerie dragon, so they are in that corner anyway.
Being CG doesn't seem like that much of a problem. Just don't murder babies, and it seems like you are good. This isn't a paladin with the need to be lawful and a bunch of extra restrictions.
|
Action economy. Fairie dragons can lay on wand based buffs that free you up to do other things. They're fairly bright, making them great for knowledge checks, especially when combined with pagebound epiphany. They can go invisible and they have spells of their own.
They're awesome familiars, even if they all have to be named the same thing in PFS...
|
Judiciously. If you make a regular habit of a familliar being a serious threat, don't be surprised when enemies start treating it as a primary target.The character in question is chaotic good already.
So ... is the best use of improved familiar a wand monkey?
While this is true, and using a familiar in combat makes it a target, GM's have to be careful and have good reason to target a familiar. Targeting a familiar because it is using a wand of CLW when the real threat is from the PC's can be a dick move.
Action economy. Fairie dragons can lay on wand based buffs that free you up to do other things. They're fairly bright, making them great for knowledge checks, especially when combined with pagebound epiphany. They can go invisible and they have spells of their own.
They're awesome familiars, even if they all have to be named the same thing in PFS...
There's no reason the faerie dragon couldn't decide to change his name.
The character in question is chaotic good already.
So ... is the best use of improved familiar a wand monkey?
One of the better uses, but obviously carries the risk of it dying.
Generally, while animal companions are combatants, you should think of familiars as magic items with various benefits
Senses are usually one of the big ones you want on a familiar. It is why pseudodragons are still at least a 'ok' option, cause blind sense.
Your original faerie dragon could actually be fairly useful since it has some illusions spells and invisibility. So scouting, as well as confusing the battlefield. It can also deliver a spell and then GET THE HECK OUT OF DODGE.
That seems unnecessarily restrictive. Surely other improved familiars could activate magical rings and such.No other animal companions or familiars can activate a magic item.
The arbiter inevitable even specifically has hands.